


Cat Cupid

by younism



Category: X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Cat, M/M, Neighbours, ddadda - Freeform, tagging is my nightmare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:53:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25546999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/younism/pseuds/younism
Summary: Seungyoun's crush asked him to catsit.Except that the cat gets lost.
Relationships: Cho Seungyeon | Seungyoun/Han Seungwoo
Comments: 8
Kudos: 42
Collections: Different Pools Fic Fest





	Cat Cupid

Most people look forward to Fridays because it’s the last weekday. Seungyoun looks forward to Fridays because it’s the one morning he has the blessing of taking the elevator down with his enchantingly hot neighbour. He is not the same.

To Seungyoun’s dismay, taking the elevator down together once a week was the extent of their relationship (if it can even be called that). But that was the fault of none other than Seungyoun, who never made any effort to level up their relationship bar. Other than the fact that the man left for work on Fridays slightly later than other weekdays, the only thing Seungyoun knew about his sculpted-by-the-gods neighbour is that his name was Seungwoo. And the only reason why he knew of this precious information was because Seungyoun is nothing if not for his eavesdropping skills. 

The revelation that he possessed this not-so-impressive power came at the ripe age of seventeen when he overheard that his best friend Hangyul’s crush was just as hopelessly in love as Hangyul was. If it wasn’t for Seungyoun being the talented eavesdropper (and blabber-mouth) that he was, Hangyul and Yohan wouldn’t have been nearing their 7th anniversary right now. This skill hadn’t come to such a bounteous fruition for himself as it did when he eavesdropped on Seungwoo on the phone to some customer service number. If it wasn’t for this, Seungyoun wouldn’t have had a name to put on the face he saw behind his eyelids before going to sleep. 

There was one skill though, that Seungyoun was yet to master in his twenty-four years of living - and that was The Art Of Acting Like A Functioning Human Infront Of His Crush. He didn’t know why he struggled so much when he’s a social butterfly among other people. It must have been Seungwoo’s perfectly sloped nose that made Seungyoun wish he could glide down on it like a kid on a slide, that personally took the entirety of Seungyoun’s learnt vocabulary on a paid vacation to a five star resort. 

It must be! Because why else would Seungyoun volunteer to look after Seungwoo’s cat for the weekend?! The same Seungyoun who has never owned a pet in his entire life! 

It went like this.

It started out as it did every other Friday; they both exited their respective apartments at the same time, nodded in acknowledgement to the other, before making their way to the elevator at a normal distance two neighbours would keep between themselves. It was going like clockwork. So why did Seungyoun just have to snatch the hour hand from its gear and snap it with his bare hands?! 

After he pressed the button for the ground floor for the both of them, Seungwoo let out a tired exhale and leaned his head against the elevator wall. Of course, Seungyoun could have easily chalked this up to the other being worn out from a busy work week but how could he have allowed his usually bright neighbour to suffer from any discomfort alone! Their lack of previous communication be damned. 

“Everything okay?” Seungyoun said nervously. He had said it so quietly that he thought the other didn’t pick it up at all. Until Seungwoo perked up like he was woken up from a daydream, having been so used to their early morning elevator rides being silent save for the automated voice signalling their arrival. 

Seungwoo must have sensed Seungyoun’s unwarranted worry because he quickly reverted to the warm expression he normally wore. 

“Yeah I’m fine!” he said with a forced chuckle but that clearly didn’t take the whole load off. “It’s just my friend who was supposed to catsit bailed on me and now I gotta quickly find a replacement but I seriously have no time to look for one so at this rate Ddadda is gonna be home alone for the whole weekend while I’m out of town”. 

They were both surprised that Seungwoo had opened up so much in the small elevator that a short silence broke over them. What was that psychology trick from TikTok? When a person is in an awkward silence they’ll say anything to fill it up? See, that must have been the case for Seungyoun, who so desperately didn’t want their first ever conversation to end in an uncomfortable ‘oh, cool’. 

“I’ll catsit for you!”

The words came out before Seungyoun could even process them. What happened to the inarticulate toddler Seungyoun became when Seungwoo was in close vicinity?! Bet he wouldn’t make offers he most definitely couldn’t fill. 

Seungwoo’s head snapped towards Seungyoun in surprise as the elevator doors dinged and slid opened.

“Really? You’d do that?” he said as they both walked towards the entrance of the apartment building. ‘I don’t know, would you do that, Seungyoun?’ Seungyoun thought as he mentally slapped himself. 

“Yup!” Seungyoun squeaked. Well, he was in too deep now. Goodbye weekend of resting, hello weekend of waiting on a fur baby.

They exchanged numbers on the sidewalk in front of their building before parting ways and making their separate ways to work. It was then, as Seungyoun silently beat himself up for mindlessly signing himself up for a weekend of cat sitting, that he realised his apartment was no place for a cat. His fragile and very expensive collection of music equipment would be no match for a cat who would most certainly knock a thing or two for their own entertainment. It was too late to back out right? How could he when Seungwoo had looked so troubled after the first cat sitter had turned their back on him. But then again, Seungyoun did value his prized equipment dearly, and he didn’t know if he would jeopardize that all for the sake of babysitting his crush’s cat. 

After having an inner turmoil the entirety of his walk to the bus stop, Seungyoun decided it was best to break the news to Seungwoo. Even though the mere thought of doing so already broke his oh so dramatic heart.

Seungyoun: uh hey its seungyoun ur neighbour whos  
supposed to catsit ur cat

Seungwoo: Yes, I know who you are Seungyoun. I saved your number, remember? :^)

Goddamn it! He even types perfectly too?

Seungyoun: oh haha yeah thats right,,  
um listen i know this is gonna be such a jerk move  
but i just realised i dont think ill be able to do it after all

Seungwoo: Oh? Why’s that?

Seungyoun: my apartments . not exactly suitable for  
a cat to roam around in

Seungwoo: What, do you have a bunch of cacti lying around or something?

Seungyoun: only one on my desk :/  
no but fr i have all my music equipment set up  
no offence but dont cats usually like to knock things down?

Seungwoo: Ddadda is very well behaved, but I see what you mean. Would you rather you come stay at my place instead, then?

Excuse me?! Was Seungwoo seriously offering his apartment to a near stranger?! 

Seungyoun: u want me to stay at ur apartment for the whole weekend??

Seungwoo: Why not? :^)

Seungyoun: what if im a robber and i rob you??

Seungwoo: …  
Please don’t do that :^(

Seungyoun looked away from his phone for a second. How could a single emoticon cause such strong heart palpitations? 

Seungwoo: ...So yes?

-

This was humiliating. 

There he was, a twenty-four year old man, acting like a high schooler going to pick up their prom date. Straight after work, Seungyoun quickly washed up and now he had been standing outside of Seungwoo’s door for the past twelve minutes and so far had made no move to actually ring the doorbell. Or should he knock? No, why would he knock when there was a perfectly functional doorbell. But how could he know if it was functional? What if it had been broken for months and Seungyoun ended up ringing it for hours without actually alerting Seungwoo of his presence? If that were to happen Seungyoun would end up looking a complete fool in front of his crush and there was no way he was about to-

The door swung wide open.

And Seungyoun’s eyes snapped just as wide.

“There you are!” Seungwoo greeted, unfazed by the weirdo staring at him with saucers for eyes. 

“Here I am...”

He speaks!

Seungyoun took tentative steps across the threshold and was immediately embraced. Unfortunately not by Seungwoo himself but instead by his scent. He already knew his neighbour smelt nice from their weekly elevator trips but being in a small confined place with him was one thing, entering his personal living space that oozed his fragrance from every nook and cranny was everything. Seungyoun was sure he was intoxicated. As Seungwoo had his back turned on him whilst calling Ddadda over, Seungyoun did his best to fill his lungs with as much of the aroma as possible without sounding like a Dyson vacuum. Oh yeah, he was definitely drunk on this.

His eyes followed Seungwoo’s movements as he picked up his cat and gently bounced him in his arms like a baby. He barely registered the other saying something about where he kept the cat food and Ddadda’s penchant for trying to escape the apartment because goddamnit he couldn’t believe Seungwoo had been hiding those buff arms under coats this whole time. 

Oh to be Ddadda in Seungwoo’s arms.

Seungwoo lowered Ddadda back down and moved towards the coat hanger by the door, slinging his duffel bag over his shoulders. 

“I’ll be back Sunday evening. Feel free to eat anything in the kitchen by the way, and you can sleep in my room if you want.”

Seungyoun felt himself get even more lightheaded at this. Sleep on Seungwoo’s bed? He must have saved a nation in his past life. 

“Got it, thanks!” Seungyoun mentally patted himself on the back for his first proper words since stepping foot into Seungwoo Haven. “Have a safe trip! I lov-”

Seungyoun quickly zipped his lips shut. It was going so well. He hoped Seungwoo didn’t catch his slip up but the other clearly had his hands frozen midway tying his shoelaces, trying to figure out if he had misheard. Good going Seungyoun!

But Seungwoo, sweet sweet Seungwoo, pretended as if he didn’t hear and stood back up, brushing imaginary dust off the duffel bag just for the sake of doing something with his hands. 

“Thanks, I’ll leave you to it then.”

Seungyoun uncomfortably waved in farewell, not trusting his mouth to form any socially acceptable sentences. Seungwoo shut the door, leaving Seungyoun to soak in a puddle of embarrassment. He looked down at Ddadda who had moved to sit by his feet. The cat looked back at him judgingly.

“I know, I know. Why do I have to be such an idiot?” Seungyoun said. He expected Ddadda to just go and do whatever cats do but for some reason, he stayed. Seungyoun had his second realization. What the heck is he supposed to do with a cat?

Looking around, he tried to look for a cat toy or something he could entertain Ddadda with but all that he could focus on was the fact that oh my god! He’s in his crush’s house! Every table top, every wall, every shelf had the Seungwoo-print that Seungyoun expected. There were candles on the coffee table that must’ve explained Seungwoo’s scent and plants that looked too real for comfort. Seungyoun wasn’t meant to keep those alive during his stay was he? Upon closer inspection, he realised that they were fake. He sighed in relief, happy that there weren’t any other lives he had to sustain during the weekend. There was already Ddadda, and he honestly feared for his own wellbeing. Staying at Seungwoo’s house where his essence was present wherever he looked but without the man himself, was sure to drive Seungyoun crazy. 

In an attempt to calm himself, he sat on the couch in the middle of the room. He didn’t exactly plan out what he was gonna do once his butt made contact with the cushion so now he was just as awkward as before but this time sitting down. Why he was feeling so awkward when no one else other than Ddadda was in the apartment, he would never know. He sat on the edge of the couch with both fists on his knees like he was taking a school photo. He could see his reflection on the blank TV screen and confirmed that yup, he definitely looked like an idiot. Seungyoun definitely could have stayed in that position until Seungwoo returned but he suddenly remembered he had a whole living animal to care for.

He tried to find Ddadda’s toys again and bent down to check under the coffee table. There was no sign of a toy mouse on a string but instead, he found what seemed to be a photo album. The first page that was flipped open confirmed this. Seungyoun tried not to snoop but how could he resist the temptation of seeing what Seungwoo looked like in the past? He had to know if there was a time when Seungwoo’s jawline didn’t look like it could cut paper or his shoulders weren’t the perfect size for a medium sized toddler to sleep on. 

The photo album was in chronological order, with the first page decorated with star and flower stickers surrounding a photo of Seungwoo when he was around four. The photo made Seungyoun smile and coo: a tiny Seungwoo wearing a colour blocked sweater by a pool with one hand in his mouth. This was definitely helping in making his neighbour seem less of a big intimidating man. After a few more flips, a middle school Seungwoo stared back at Seungyoun in all his bowl cut glory. Seungyoun giggled at this, definitely feeling more relaxed than when he first came in. 

He got to the end of the photo album and because he’s so considerate, decided he had snooped enough. He wasn’t a total creep. He stood back up from where he was sitting on the floor with the intention of finally giving Ddadda attention but he found the white cat sleeping soundly on a large floor cushion by the TV. Huh, taking care of a cat was much easier than he anticipated. Seungyoun suddenly felt extremely useless in Seungwoo’s apartment. He was there to look after Ddadda afterall, but all he had done since Seungwoo left was ignore the cat. But if Ddadda was already sleeping then where’s the harm in him also getting some shuteye. 

Making himself comfortable on Seungwoo’s bed felt too invasive even for Seungyoun, so he settled on the couch for the night. (He pushed away the thought of only wanting to be on Seungwoo’s bed if the owner was on it too). The small couch and thin throw blanket made a less than ideal place to rest after a long, exhausting week but before he realised, Seungwoo’s scent lulled him to sleep.

-

The next morning Seungyoun woke up to a sore neck and Ddadda’s fur in his nose. The cat had managed to squeeze himself in the small space between Seungyoun and the edge of the couch during the night. Seungyoun sighed to himself. 

“Is this the closest I’ll get to waking up next to Seungwoo?” he mumbled. 

He sat up and stretched his tired muscles, waking up Ddadda in the process. He slouched back down, fully ready to spend his entire day there until he checked his phone to see a text message from Seungwoo.

Seungwoo: Good morning :^)

This immediately perked him back up. He did not expect such a simple yet sweet good morning text from his neighbour. Seungyoun thought those were reserved for couples. He squealed as he clutched his phone tightly at the thought, this must have meant they leveled up from being just neighbours, right? Or maybe he was over analyzing it. Neighbours could send good morning texts. Especially if one of them was staying at the other’s house. This was completely reasonable. 

He saw that Seungwoo had sent the text just a minute ago, and he quickly worked to type a reply. But then he realised he shouldn’t look over enthusiastic and reply straight away so he got up to make himself busy until a socially acceptable amount of time to reply to a text message passed. 

If Seungwoo’s apartment was the slightest bit messy Seungyoun would have tidied up to not only kill time, but also to make himself look boyfriendable. Call him old-fashioned, but he was raised to serve Seungwoo - and that included cleaning up after him. Unfortunately as Seungyoun had suspected, Seungwoo was absolutely perfect and did not leave a single item in the apartment anywhere but its intended spot. He sighed in annoyance (or admiration?) when he realised this and in spite, moved everything a centimeter to the left. Seungwoo would be so shocked to return and see his tissue box, plants and magazines so out of place. 

Seungyoun smiled smugly to himself, then realised that it was now okay for him to reply to Seungwoo. The trouble was, he was too busy rearranging Seungwoo’s apartment to think of a sophisticated text. He didn’t want to sound sleazy or boring but he also didn’t want to sound like he was foaming at the mouth when Seungwoo sent him a basic greeting. It had to be classy.

Seungyoun: goof morign

He couldn’t believe it. His chunky fingers moved faster than his brain and sent the text before he could even proof-read it. Seungyoun flopped onto the couch like a useless fish and wailed into the empty apartment. 

“Idiot! Idiot!” He slapped his forehead a few times for good measure. Ddadda, suddenly afraid of his new temporary maid, ran off in search of some peace. When Seungyoun’s phone made the notification sound, he braced himself for some bullying because honestly, he deserved it. 

Seungwoo: I don’t know if I told you, but Ddadda likes to have breakfast around this time :^)

He sighed in relief when he saw that Seungwoo brushed off his mistake.

Seungyoun: okay will do. i am nothing if not his butler

That was okay right? He was making himself look funny and down to earth. He could do this. He could text Seungwoo like he was any other friend. 

True to his own words, Seungyoun went over to Ddadda’s food bowl and filled it with the dry cat food like the responsible butler he was. If he couldn’t cook for and serve Seungwoo three meals a day, his cat would have to take his place. He called out to Ddadda who obediently came over and rubbed his head on Seungyoun’s leg as a thank you. 

As Seungyoun was putting the bag of cat food away, he felt another ping signalling a text. 

Seungwoo: Did I ever tell you his full name is Wooddadda?

Seungyoun: thats a long name for a cat

Seungwoo: Hence why I call him Ddadda  
Seungwoo: I only use his full name when he’s being cheeky 

Seungyoun: what are u, a dad?

Seungwoo: A cat dad :^)

If Seungwoo was already so adorable with his cat then how much more cuter would he be if he was a real dad? Carrying a delicate baby into the kitchen after they had just woken up, hair: tousled and upper body: exposed. Seungyoun had to sit and take a breather. He was dangerously close to spiralling into delving too deep into domestic Seungwoo and who knew how long that could have lasted. 

Seungwoo: Gotta go help my mum in the kitchen! Good luck for the rest of the day :^)

And he’s a filial son too? Seungyoun needed at least an hour or two to recover from this. 

Without him realising, Seungyoun was sitting on the floor by Ddadda’s food bowls, slouched against some drawers. He didn’t know when he put himself in that position but his butt was starting to get cold against the kitchen tiles. He got up again and realised that all his attempts at being vertical this morning had been knocked down by Seungwoo who was hundreds of kilometres away in Busan. Ridiculous. 

Realising how silly he had been since the morning (read: since the elevator ride the day before), he walked around the living room again and moved everything back a centimeter to the right, just to clear his conscious. How could he allow himself to cause such vandalism when Seungwoo had so welcomingly opened his apartment to a barely acquainted neighbour. 

-

It was late into the evening, Seungyoun was contently munching on leftover fried rice that he quickly swiped from his own fridge when his phone rang. Upon seeing the “sexy cat dad” ID, he quickly ran to the kitchen to spit out his mouthful. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath like he was about to go underwater as he pressed accept on the call. 

“Hey Seungyoun!” Seungwoo sounded rushed, like he was running. 

“Hey Seungwoo, everything alright there?” 

Over the phone, Seungyoun heard the other’s fast footsteps and confirmed that he was in fact running. Athletic man. He liked that. 

“Yeah everything’s just dandy! Except my boss is a total ass and needs me to send over these documents by tonight!” 

Seungyoun glanced at the laptop on the coffee table that he had moved left and right earlier that day. 

“And all your stuff is here?” he finished the other’s sentence. 

“Bingo!” Seungwoo said with a sarcastic cheery tone. “I’m at the station now, sorry I didn’t call sooner, my mind was so full and I had to make a bunch of calls.”

“You’re taking the KTX back?” Okay, Seungwoo was coming back a day earlier but if Seungyoun’s question was correct, he would have at least three hours to mentally prepare to see the man again.

“Already did. I’m running to the bus stop now, I should be there in thirty minutes.”

That’s not three hours of preparation time. 

“Wh- Okay! I’ll uh, I’ll see you soon I guess!” Seungyoun said, caught off guard. He ended the call and wasted no time before cleaning up the small mess he had made during the day. He felt like his mum’s car was in the driveway and he forgot to make rice like he had been told. He couldn’t have Seungwoo come home to see him as a complete slob! That’s not boyfriend material! 

Okay, okay, think Seungyoun! What would make you look like a total househusband for Seungwoo when he gets home? 

Food.

He rushed over to the kitchen and started mindlessly pulling out random pots and utensils like he had a single clue what he was about to cook. He paused in the middle of the kitchen, ladle in hand. 

“I can’t cook,” he whispered lamely. Ddadda strutted in to drink from his bowl and Seungyoun stared at him dumbly like the cat was gonna give him a two page recipe for caprese chicken pasta. “Oh god I can’t cook.” 

Thankfully, Seungyoun realised soon enough that he lived in the 21st century and he had all the power in his handy smartphone to summon a perfectly cooked meal right to his doorstep. He quickly ordered a pasta dish from the Italian restaurant around the corner, knowing that the place had an exceptionally good track record for delivering food fast. Seungyoun just hoped he would have enough time to plate it like he had slaved over the stove for it. The restaurant wasn’t award-winningly delicious but it wasn’t necessarily gross either. It was humble enough to pass as home cooking and for that, Seungyoun was thankful. He didn’t want this first dinner to create high expectations of his cooking skills, or lack thereof. 

Whilst waiting for the delivery man to come and save his life, he returned Seungwoo’s cooking tools, leaving a few that he thought would have been needed in cooking pasta. He gave those a quick rinse and arranged them on the dish rack. Seungwoo would be so impressed to see him not only cooking for him, but going as far as cleaning up already. Food and cleanliness are the ways to a man’s heart, according to Seungyoun. 

A suspiciously short amount of time later, the bell of Seungwoo’s apartment rang, awakening Ddadda from his nap on Seungyoun’s lap. Seungyoun had already set the table, complete with two plates, its matching cutlery and a large plating dish. The only thing missing was, you know, actual food. 

Seungyoun carefully moved the cat off of him and grabbed his wallet on the way to the door. He swung the door open to a bored looking delivery man, but in Seungyoun’s eyes, he was a saviour. The one who would allow him to sweep his potential future boyfriend off his feet with his restaurant quality cooking. 

“How much do I owe you,” 

“That will be 20 000 won, sir.”

Truthfully, the pasta in the plastic bag was priceless. How could anyone put a dollar amount to the one thing that will definitely help Seungyoun land the love of his life. This deceptively modest pasta dish was the kindling that would ignite the fiery passion in Seungyoun and Seungwoo’s future relationship.

Seungyoun was busy thinking up more deep philosophical thoughts about the pasta whilst pulling out the necessary bills when he saw a distinct white blob dash past behind the delivery man. He froze for a split second, then slowly turned to look towards the couch where Ddadda was definitely resting a few seconds prior. Except now the couch was vacant.

“...Ddadda…?” He called out nervously. The delivery man gave Seungyoun a weird look like he was speaking an alien language but Seungyoun couldn’t even get embarrassed because he was coming to the scary realisation that Ddadda wasn’t responding to getting his name called and that meant one thing. He was on the run.

“Damn it! Here take it all!” Seungyoun said, pushing way too much money into the shocked delivery man’s hand. He ran out of the apartment in his slippers, putting his dignity on the line for the sake of saving his crush’s cat. The air was starting to get cold in the corridors and Seungyoun was not dressed appropriately with his thin sweats and tshirt. Regardless, he made a mad dash for the stairs. 

Both his and Seungwoo’s apartments were located toward the end of the 4th floor so there was only one way Ddadda could have gone. This at least put Seungyoun’s mind at ease for a while but he could only hope Ddadda hadn’t made it out of the apartment building yet. He didn’t know what he would do if little old Ddadda was stranded somewhere in the middle of Seoul. Maybe the guilt would eat away at his soul and he would have to move to Serbia and change his name to Vlado. 

He made it down the first flight of stairs to the floor below, calling out for Ddadda the entire time and disturbing his neighbours, but this wasn’t about them. He jogged towards the end of the corridor, this time whisper-shouting Ddadda’s name but still no sign of the cat. Seungyoun didn’t understand Ddadda’s desire to leave the apartment so badly. Was he that bad of a cat-sitter? It was his first time but he liked to think he did a pretty okay job at keeping him alive. He tried not to take it personally. 

With the same strategy, Seungyoun checked all the bottom floors before he realised he had made it to the lobby with still no Ddadda. Could he have gone upstairs instead? Seungyoun doubled over his knees as he thought about the possibility. The apartment building had twenty five floors and Seungyoun’s thigh muscles already ached at the thought of climbing that many flights of stairs. 

Seungyoun didn’t notice him at first, but there was a person at the mail boxes who gave him a concerned look.

“Was that your cat who just ran out?” the random neighbour said. Seungyoun must have had a shocked face at his words that signalled to the man that it was indeed his cat. “Sorry I couldn’t stop your little friend, they were just so fast!” 

Seungyoun held back his groan, because he was at least thankful he could scratch off the possibility that Ddadda had actually gone upstairs. Except now, he had much bigger ground to cover, as in, the entire city of Seoul. But how fast could a little fur ball on four feet go, right? Accepting his fate, Seungyoun thanked the neighbour for the tip and exited the apartment building. 

He was instantly met with the hustle and bustle of a typical night in the city, his knees going weak at the thought of Ddadda amongst it all. He had no time to wallow in his own regret, because there was no way he was about to have Seungwoo come home to a cat-less apartment.

“Ddadda!” He shouted, no longer caring if he looked crazy. 

He doubted another one of his neighbours was going to pop out and give him another lead as to where Ddadda had run off to, it wasn’t like he was taking part in a planned scavenger hunt after all, so he simply let his feet take him wherever. 

“Ddadda!” Ddadda!” Whilst straining his throat dry, Seungyoun remembered how Seungwoo had said earlier that he calls Ddadda by his full name when he’s ‘being cheeky’ and this seemed like a situation that would perfectly fit into that category. “Wooddadda!” He tried, “Wooddadda, come on! This isn’t funny!” 

Maybe Wooddadda wasn’t his complete full name? Did Seungwoo give the cat his last name too? Seungyoun didn’t even know Seungwoo’s last name. 

Seungyoun slowed down, as if to let himself think better. “Kim Wooddadda? Park Wooddadda?” he tried again, less confident this time. “Damn it, Ddadda what’s your dad’s last name?” He said, then quietly: “I gotta see if it goes well with my name”. Then he picked up his pace again, realising there were bigger issues on hand. (Besides, if Seungwoo’s last name didn’t match well with Seungyoun, Seungwoo would just have to be a Cho). 

Seungwoo got off the bus quickly, greeting the driver a good night. The bus stop was a good five minute walk from his apartment and he had to get home quickly and send the documents if he didn’t want his eardrums being blown out through the phone later. He followed his usual route, except now he couldn’t afford to be at his usual relaxed pace so he clutched the strap of his duffel bag tight as he speed walked home. 

He would send over those documents just as his boss wanted him to but he wouldn’t do so without a passive aggressive message. She deserved it anyway for ruining what could have been a nice, relaxing weekend with his family. A relaxing weekend that was cut so abruptly before it barely began. 

Seungwoo was driving back to their family home with his sister from a quick supermarket trip when he received the cursed phone call. Of course he was rightfully pissed as he had to break the news to his parents that his long awaited weekend at home would be cut short, and he had half a brain to call his boss back and tell her to shove the unsent documents up hers; because he hadn’t seen his family in months, for god’s sake! He even had to bother his cute neighbour to give up his only days off work to catsit Ddadda! 

When his friend Sejun called him apologetically that morning to let him know that he had to cover the weekend shifts for a friend, Seungwoo bit his tongue before he could whine at the younger for backing out because it wasn’t really the poor guy’s fault. As Seungwoo walked dejectedly to the elevator after ending that phone call, he thought his only option was to cancel his trip completely because Ddadda had separation anxiety that prevented him from leaving him alone in the apartment any longer than a usual work day. That was why when his then nameless neighbour eagerly offered, his eyes shining brighter than anyone else’s could so early in the morning, he accepted just as enthusiastically because while yes, it meant he could finally go to back to Busan, it was also his first verbal exchange with his unfairly adorable neighbour who he had had his eyes on for the longest time, so the dam that was his brain to mouth filter broke unceremoniously and he selfishly took the other’s selfless offer like a cat being given catnip. 

He was worried easily handing over his apartment to Seungyoun (he repeated Seungyoun’s name enchantedly to himself when he learn of it), would seem overzealous and expose his fondness towards him but he was relieved to find Seungyoun at his door at their agreed time. 

Seungwoo didn’t know if he was actually experienced enough to be trusted with his beloved baby Ddadda, but Seungyoun vaguely resembled a soft kitten so surely that meant he was. This made complete sense. 

As Seungwoo turned the corner into the street the apartment is in, he sighed to himself, ah, I miss Ddadda. Although he was gone for barely twenty four hours, this was one of the longest times they had been apart since he adopted Ddadda a year and a half ago. He certainly appreciated waking up without a faceful of fur in the morning, but he didn’t think he could last any longer without a cuddle with his best buddy. He picked up his pace even more, nearly breaking into a proper run, eager to get home when: wait… is that Ddadda? 

It was the combination of missing his dear cat and the fatigue of suddenly packing up and leaving Busan earlier than anticipated catching up to him, that convinced Seungwoo he was only imagining things. Despite this, he halted to a stop and carefully approached the bush where the so-called hallucinated cat had ventured behind. If it did turn out to be nothing but a figment of his worn out brain, he could probably brush it off by pretending to tie his shoelaces in order to not look like a weirdo who liked to put his nose in bushes. But he had to at least check.

Seungyoun was starting to lose hope. He had gone as far as the elementary school three blocks away from the apartment building, and all the little streets adjacent to it, cementing his new-found reputation in the neighbourhood as the strange man who runs around calling out the same name over and over again. All that embarrassment but he still couldn’t find Ddadda. He groaned loudly, already drafting ways he could break it to Seungwoo that he had committed such a heinous crime. He jogged back to where he came from, regret stomping in his every step as he mentally prepared himself to repeat what he was doing before, this time on the opposite side from the apartment. 

“Wooddadda!” He yelled for the nth time that night. His throat was starting to feel scratchy and he belatedly realised that yelling like a madman probably wasn’t the best way to attract a cat. Give him a break, this was his first rodeo. So he tried a new approach. 

“Pspsps Wooddadda~” Seungyoun sang, trying to make his voice sound as inviting as best he could. “Ddadda~ if you don’t come here your dad is gonna k word me~ and not the k word I want from him so-” His eyes landed on a duffel bag left on the ground that seemed eerily familiar. He looked up slowly, finding that he was met with a pair of long legs, arms cradling a familiar white cat, then Seungwoo’s smug face. 

Seungwoo patted Ddadda’s fur like he belonged on a spinny chair and his next words should have been “I’ve been expecting you” but instead, he said: “What’s the k word you want from me?”

And the day became even better for Seungyoun. As if he hadn’t made himself enough of a fool over text, and irresponsible for letting Ddadda out, he had now unknowingly exposed himself as the lovestruck idiot he was. 

“Knowledge-of-how-to-care-for-a-pet. The words are hyphenated.” Seungyoun said. This amused Seungwoo even more, so he played along. 

“I could make you a pamphlet? Or link you some resources online,” 

“Great! Perfect! I’ll appreciate that!” 

Seungyoun turned his face away in shame. Shame for accidentally releasing Ddadda into the wild, or sounding stupid in front of Seungwoo, he didn’t know. 

“So you and Ddadda decided to play hide and seek?” 

Seungyoun faced Seungwoo, looking like a kicked puppy.

“I’m so sorry, it was an accident, he just escaped when I was at the door,”

Seungwoo hummed. Honestly, he couldn’t find it in himself to scold the other for endangering Ddadda, not when he looked genuinely sorry, with his eyes reflecting the streetlights, mimicking the night sky above them. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not the first time,” Seungwoo offered a warm smile that conveyed his lack of anger at Seungyoun’s carelessness, “Let’s head back inside.” 

They both turned to walk back to the apartment, tired from their individual days’ activities. 

“I really am sorry, if I had known how fast the little thing could run, I would’ve never opened the door. Like, ever.”

“How would you have gotten out of my apartment?”

Seungyoun shrugged, he really didn’t think that one through.

“If that’s your idea then that means in theory you could never leave, right?”

“I guess those were the words that came out of my mouth,” Seungyoun tilted his head away from Seungwoo and gave his lips a few hard taps with his fingers as if to scold them for allowing such silly words to fumble out. 

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Seungwoo hummed, snapping the other’s attention back on him.

“What?”

“You. Hanging out at my apartment more. Doesn’t sound too bad.”

**Author's Note:**

> additional additional notes: ending is vague bc op’s brain decided to pull a one direction and go on an indefinite hiatus :] ill give u a kith if u leave kudos and comments <3


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